When an injured employee is brought to the IRC, the staff responds promptly in a caring, comfortable atmosphere. The Emergency Department at Memorial Hospital is an integral part of the IRC, providing treatment when the centers are closed.

The IRC physicians monitor each injury, whether treated in the IRC or in the Emergency Department. This ensures that each employee receives the highest quality of care while avoiding unnecessary treatment or follow-up, thereby expediting their return to work.

Additionally, there is regular communication between the IRC clinical staff and the participating company to track an employee’s progress. Questions are handled quickly and personally. Communication is invaluable in maintaining the health and well-being of the employee as well as the efficiency of an employer’s day-to-day operations.

Physical Examinations

The IRC offers many types of physicals, ranging from Post-Offer to annual and executive physicals. These serve as excellent tools for evaluating an individual’s ability to perform tasks to health maintenance and assessment of current medical conditions. Since requirements differ from company to company, the availability of the IRC’s broad range of services allows these examinations to include any type of testing required or requested. Physical examination results are provided by phone to the company contact person, often within 24 hours of the appointment. Available testing includes Audiometric evaluations, Titmus II vision testing, grip testing, lift capacity, work simulation evaluations, pulmonary function, respiratory physicals and N-95 fit testing.

Workers’ Compensation

The IRC offers injury related treatment and follow-up with employers, works compensation insurers and other involved parties to provide quality, cost effective intervention including medical assessment of the injury, testing, radiology, continued treatment and physical therapy. The goal is to collaborate with the employer and employee in an effort to minimize lost work time and return an individual to there previous employment duties. We can help with OSHA recordables and non-recordables.

Substance Abuse Screening

Drug abuse and alcoholism are delicate matters. Accidents, absenteeism and lower productivity are only a few of the obstacles employers face when substance abuse enters the work environment.

The IRC is prepared to institute and manage a comprehensive drug-free workplace program. It can assist a company in formulating the necessary written company policy, as well as obtaining and processing the specimen and reporting the results back to the company.

The staff of the IRC is trained in accordance with regulations set by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All screens for the IRC are processed by a SAMHSA certified laboratory that follows strict guidelines with regard to specimen collection, chain of custody, transmission and reporting.

Positive specimens are confirmed automatically by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GG/MS), the most reliable and acceptable confirmation method currently available.

All IRC physicians are certified Medical Review Officers (MRO). As certified MRO’s, they review and interpret all completed substance abuse screens. The MRO assumes the responsibility of confidentially reporting results to ensure accuracy.

The IRC offers a five or eight panel drug profile. The five panel drug profile screens for:

Amphetamines

Cannabinoids (Marijuana)

Cocaine

Opiates

Phencyclidine (PCP)

The eight panel drug profile screens for all of the drugs listed above in addition to:

Barbituates

Benzodiazepines

Methaqualone

Verbal communication, as well as a written report of results are provided. Drug screen results are transmitted daily through a teleprinter within 24 hours for negative results. Immediate drug screens are also available, providing a negative result within eight minutes. Post-injury screenings for employees who have been injured on the job can be arranged as part of a substance abuse program as well. The Health Services Representatives at the IRC are available to discuss all screening options.